Layla slammed her drawer shut for the last time.
"I won't stay where I'm not valued," she hissed, glaring at no one in particular.
Mara didn't even look up. She was reviewing financials and sipping iced coffee like the queen she was.
"Best of luck, Layla," she said without blinking.
"Don't patronize me!" Layla snapped. "You think you've won?"
Mara looked up this time. Calm.
"Sweetheart, I didn't even compete."
Boom.
Malik entered right on cue, leaned on the doorframe like a man whose life was finally drama-free.
"She's really leaving?" he asked, zero emotion.
"Apparently," Mara murmured, already signing another document.
"Good," he said simply.
Layla stood there, stunned. No one tried to stop her. No one begged. No one looked heartbroken.
And that?
That was the real slap.
.....
Airport Departure Lounge ; One Week Later
Layla sat by the window, sunglasses on, pretending she was some tragic main character in a sad love song.
"They'll miss me," she whispered.
They won't.
...
Office; Same Day
Mara walks into the office to find her desk full of white roses and a post-it that says:
"No more shadows. Just light."
She smiles.
He comes up behind her, wraps an arm around her waist.
"Ready for peace?"
"More than ready."
.....
Mara was closing her laptop when Malik entered her office, looking dangerously good in a crisp black shirt and that signature smirk.
"Cancel your evening."
She raised a brow. "Excuse me?"
He walked over, slid a velvet box onto her table.
"You're busy tomorrow. Tonight? You're mine."
She opened the box.
Inside was a pair of delicate gold earrings, shaped like tiny stars.
"Wear this with a dress you love. I'll handle the rest."
....
Private Rooftop Garden
Fairy lights glowed overhead.
The air smelled like jasmine and soft vanilla.
A long table sat under the stars, candles flickering, music playing low.
Mara stepped out in a silk wine-red dress, and his breath literally hitched.
"You look…"
He shook his head, smiling. "Unreal."
She smirked. "You didn't look too bad in the office either."
They sat. They ate.
They laughed like kids. Toasted like lovers.
And when dessert came, she found a note under her plate:
"You're not just someone I want…
You're someone I'd build a life with."
Later, they slow danced under the stars.
No music. Just the sound of the city below and the rhythm of their hearts.
"This is nice," she whispered against his chest.
"It's just the beginning," he replied, pulling her closer.
"Next time, we plan forever."
.....
He drove in silence, one hand on the wheel, the other loosely holding hers.
"You're quiet," she said softly, sneaking a glance at him.
"I'm thinking."
"About?"
He smiled a little. "Whether you'll like my place."
"Malik… I've literally seen you fire people with less fear in your voice."
He chuckled. "It's different with you."
.....
MALIK'S PENTHOUSE
The elevator opened straight into his home.
It was everything she didn't expect.
No cold glass. No soulless greys.
Warm wooden floors. Soft golden lighting. Tall bookshelves. Art. Plants. A lived-in feel.
And then the scent...
Of cinnamon, vanilla, and something deeply him.
"This is… beautiful," she whispered.
"You haven't seen the best part," he said, tugging her gently toward the living room.
He clicked a remote.
The ceiling lights dimmed.
A fireplace roared to life.
And slow jazz filled the room.
"Malik…" she blinked. "You're romantic."
"Don't tell anyone," he whispered, pulling her in by the waist.
....
They curled up on his sofa, barefoot, tangled, at peace.
He fed her strawberries.
She fed him sarcasm.
"You're letting me in," she whispered into the quiet.
"You've always been in, Mara. This… just makes it official."
He kissed her then..
Slow and certain.
And for the first time in a long time, Mara Daniels didn't feel like she was surviving.
She felt… home.